Suction nozzle having nozzle area control and surface agitating means



N. C. CUDDEBACK SUCTION NOZZLE HAVING NOZZLE AREA CONTROL AND SURFACEAGITATING MEANS Flled June 10 1948 Dec. 2, 1952 w 6 as 4 INVENTOR. lklmn6621M WW1 ATTORNEY.

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Patented Dec. 2, 1952 SUCTION NOZZLE HAVING NOZZLE AREA CONTROL ANDSURFACE MEANS AGITATING Nelson C. Cuddeback, Chicago Heights, Ill.,assigner to The Hoover Company, North Canton, Ohio, a corporation ofOhio Application June 10, 1948, Serial No. 32,175

2 Claims. (Cl. 15365) My present invention relates to the art of suctioncleaners and more particularly to a novel suction cleaning nozzleconstruction particularly adapted for use with types of apparatus inwhich the cleaning nozzle is attached to the end of a manipulatablesuction hose or tube. More particularly it is an object of my presentinvention to provide a surface cleaning suction nozzle provided with anelement which presents combing devices to the surface being cleanedunder all conditions of operation and which is selectively manipulableat the will of the operator to vary the effective size of the suctionopening presented tothe surface undergoing cleaning.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a suctioncleaning nozzle having an element mounted therewithin which in oneposition divides the interior of the nozzle in two cleaning air pathshaving a totalcross-sectiona1 area approaching the maximum areaavailable within the nozzle structure and movable to a second positionin which it restricts the air path through the cleaning nozzle to asingle small area path.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent asthe description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawing in which:

Figure 1 illustrates a suction'cleaning apparatus embodying my inventionWith the nozzle construction thereof shown in section and drawn to anenlarged scale;

Figure 2 is an end elevational View of the nozzle construction of Figure1;

Figure 3 is a partial front elevational view in section of the apparatusof Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a bottom view of the apparatus Figures 1 to 3.

Referring now to the drawing in detail there is illustrated a suctioncleaning apparatus l of the so-called tank type to which is connected along manipulatable suction hose 3 supporting a surface engaging cleaningnozzle body 4 upon its outer end.

The nozzle body 4 is elongated in a direction at right angles to theaxis of the connection 3 and is provided with a socket 5 in which theend of the hose 3 is swiveled in a conventional manner. The interior ofthe nozzle body 4 is hollow to form an air path into the suction hose 3.The lower face of the nozzle body 4 is open to provide an elongatedgenerally rectangular nozzle opening 6 which is defined by the nozzlelips 1 formed on the bottom portions of the walls of the nozzle body 4.A soft furniture guard, such as a rubber ring, 8 surrounds the nozzlebody 4 adjacent the lips I to protect furniture or other objects againstwhich the nozzle may be pushed in operation.

A selector or control valve element 10 is pivotally mounted within thenozzle 6 upon pivot pins H which are swiveled in the end walls of thenozzle body 4. The element It! is in the form of a flat plate withrounded ends. The plate 10 is shaped to close the opening 6 by engagingthe walls 1 with its edges when the plate lies with its flat face in theplane of the opening 6 as shown in Figure 4 and in dotted lines inFigure 1. One edge of the plate It] is in the form of a plurality ofspaced apart ribs l2 forming na row air flow slots I3 therebetween.

The right hand end of the nozzle body 4, as viewed in Figure 3, isprovided with an end chamber [4 through which the right hand pin llprojects. An operating lever I5 is rigidly secured to the shaft II inchamber l4 and projects through a suitable slot l6 formed in the nozzlebody 4. The outer, projecting end of the lever l5 carries a footoperated friction plate H by which the lever 15 can be rotated for apurpose to be described hereinafter. A snap spring 618? ment l8 securedto the nozzle body 4 is adapted to engage a side face of the lever l5resiliently to retain the plate 10 in the position shown in Figures 1and 3.

The plate 10 is also rotatable from the position shown in full lines ofFigure 1 to the dotted line position shown therein. In the dotted lineposition, the rear end of the plate element Ill seals against the rearwall 1 to block air flow into the nozzle body 4 at this point. A leafspring 20 resiliently retains the plate in the horizontal dotted lineposition of Figure 1. The slots [3 form the sole air inlets to theinterior of the nozzle body 4 when plate I0 is in its horizontalposition and constitute a high velocity cleaning nozzle structure ofrestricted area adapted to pick up material which resists the action ofthe normal cleaning nozzle. In the horizontal position of the plate [0,a comb forming ribs 2| on its lower face are brought into a planeslightly below the plane of the nozzle lips I in order to engage thesurface being cleaned and to act as a comb thereon as the nozzle ismoved back and forth in operation. The spaces between the ribs 2| alsoform passages for high velocity air jets leading to the slots 13parallel to the surface being cleaned to aid the cleaning action.

In the position of the apparatus shown in Figures 1 and 3, the plate lhas its flat faces positioned substantially vertically and the ribs [2project substantially to the plane of the nozzle lips I to engage andcomb a surface covering drawn into said nozzle during cleaning. Theplate [0 is positioned internally of the nozzle structure and in spacedrelation to the front and rear portions of the marginal lips 1 forms twoair paths from the plane of the surface being cleaned into the nozzlebody proper. Air flowing in the rear path sweeps the ribs 2 I, nowvertically positioned, and any debris which may be adhering thereto.Because of the position of the'comb element in an intermediate regionbetween two cleaning air paths, the cleaning effectiveness of the deviceis appreciably increased. This results from the fact that carpet napflexing forwardly ahead of the combing element and springing erectrearwardly thereof is in cleaning air paths so that any material evenmomentarily liberated-from adherence to the carpet nap during either ofthese actions is immediately removed by the air stream. Material sweptahead of the comb element is pushed into an active cleaning air streamwhich results in'a highly effective cleaning action.

The present nozzle is readily convertible from a-normal large area lowvelocity nozzle to a small area high velocity nozzle constructionibysimple operation of the foot pedal I! and is characterizedin that thesurface undergoing'cleaning is subjected to a combing action under allconditions of operation of the nozzle construction. While I haveillustrated and described the invention in considerable detail, it is tobe under stood that various changes may be'made in the arrangement,proportion and construction of parts without departing from the spiritof the invention or the scope of the appended claims.

, I claim:

.1. A cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparatus comprising a hollowbody portion adapted for connection to asource of suction, said bodyhaving spaced walls terminating in spaced 'surface engaging partsdefining an opening forming a cleaning air inlet, .a plate member havinga perimeter "conforming to said air inlet opening, means movablymounting said plate member for movement from a first position in whichit extends across said air inlet opening with its edges engaging theinner surfaces of saidwalls'with a flat side thereof lying substantiallyin the plane of said nozzle opening to a second position in which oneedge of said plate lies substantially in the plane of said nozzleopening between said surface engaging parts and said flat side thereofis positioned at an angle to the plane of said nozzle opening, meansforming a, plurality of notches in said one edge of said plate, and aplurality of spacedribs onsaid flat side of said plate member providingair flow channels and surface agitating means when said plate member isin said first position,

2. A cleaning tool for suction cleaning apparatus comprising a hollowbody portion adapted for connection to a source of suction, said bodyhaving-surface engaging parts defining an opening forming a cleaning airinlet, a control member movably mounted in said hollow body, saidcontrol member having an edge provided with a plurality of spaced ribsprojecting therefrom and defining air flow slots therebetween and a flatface portion having a plurality of spaced elongated ridge membersforming grooves therebetween, and means for selectively securing'saidmember-in afirst position in which said member blocks the flow of airthrough saidcleaning air inlet opening. except'through said slots. andsaid ridge members are positioned substantially parallel. to the planeof said surface engaging parts to engage a surface to be cleaned .or ina second position in which cleaning air has a substantially unobstructedpath of flow through said cleaning air inletinto. said hollow body andsaid ribs are positioned to engage and agitatela surface to be cleaned.1

NELSON C. CUDDEBACK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are'of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

